The disclosed embodiments relate to portable electronic devices, and more particularly, to devices and methods for controlling relative movement between layers of an electronic device.
Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, pagers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants (“PDA's”) and hand-held gaming devices are becoming increasingly popular for both business and personal use. One advantage of these devices is their portability due to their small size, light weight, battery-powered or cordless operation and, in some cases, their wireless communications ability. These features allow these portable electronic devices to be utilized whenever and wherever a user desires.
Because of the increasing popularity of these devices, however, it is not uncommon for a single user to carry with them more than one of these devices at one time. For example, a user may have a mobile phone and two-way pager strapped to their belt, while carrying a PDA in a pocket and a gaming device in their bag. As such, having separate devices perform each service or function creates a problem for a user who requires more than one or two services/functions offered by these portable devices.
Designers have realized this problem of device proliferation, and resultingly have tried to combine a number of services or functionalities into a single device. In this manner, a user may only require a single device having a number of operational modes that correspond to a number of the desired services or functions. One drawback of incorporating many operational modes into a single device, however, is that each service or function typically has an established configuration, including the overall shape and the number and specific types of components. For example, a mobile phone generally includes a phone keypad consisting of 12 keys: 1 key each for the numbers 0–9, and a separate key for the “*” and “#” characters. Further, a mobile phone is generally oriented for use with its length extending in a vertical axis such that its display unit is positioned above the keypad and such that the alphanumeric or graphical output of the display can be read by a user in this orientation. In contrast, a two-way pager typically includes an alphanumeric keyboard, such as a QWERTY keyboard that may include twice as many keys as a phone keypad. Further, a two-way pager typically has a display with a width greater than a length as viewed during use. In attempting to combine services/functionalities, a designer needs surface area onto which these established orientations and sets of components may be mounted. This increased demand for surface area competes with an overall goal of maintaining a device having a compact and portable size.
The copending patent application Ser. No. 10/718,125, entitled “A Portable Device With Versatile Keyboard,” filed Nov. 19, 2003, addresses the problem of combining several configurations by creating a device having a number of functional layers. In such a device, each layer may have a first or neutral position in which it overlaps with the other layers to form a compact electronic device. Additionally, each layer may have a second position where a specific functionality associated with that layer is actuated, thereby creating additional operational modes.
One issue with such portable devices having multiple layers of functional components is that it may be possible to actuate more than one layer at one time. The resulting actuation of more than one operational mode may cause confusion for the user, and may create operational problems within the electronic device.
Thus, portable electronic devices having multiple layers of functional components are desired which provide for a discrete actuation between predetermined operational modes.